Exploring endosymbiosis at Queen Mary University of London. Associate professor. Symbiosis, ecology, evolution, microbiology https://xitter.cf/t.co/N3Wk7abWIU
Joined January 2020
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⭐️Postdoc position available⭐️
Join the Henry Lab to investigate how horizontal gene transfer drives beneficial host–microbe symbioses.
Interested in host–microbe interactions?
Apply: t.ly/M0K3k
[email protected]
Please share! #EvolutionaryBiology #Symbiosis
1. New paper out in @MolBioEvol 🧬🦠
We show phage toxin diversity in protective symbionts isn’t random—toxin families are linked to defense against different parasitoid species.
This suggests toxin diversification is a major force shaping symbiont functional evolution.
3. One big surprise was finding multiple cointegrated APSE phages with distinct toxins at a single genomic locus.
Rather than evolving defenses sequentially, symbionts may rapidly expand their arsenal by combining phage-encoded toxins.
Huge credit to Balig and everyone involved in the project.
Paper here:
academic.oup.com/mbe/article…
#Symbiosis #Genomics #Phage #Microbiology
🚨 PhD opportunity in evolutionary microbiology!
Join our lab to study how horizontal gene transfer drives host–microbe symbioses and ecological function
✉️ [email protected]
Apply: t.ly/6ARQY
#PhD #Microbiology #Ecology #Evolution
New preprint! How do host regulate ancient symbioses to optimise benefits? We show 🐜 actively regulate symbionts, switching between symbiont-derived and environmental nutrients to thrive under changing diets. 👏 Well done @PhoebeHazel93 and team!
biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…
Happy New Year! 🎉 New preprint out now: Defensive symbionts don’t protect against all enemies equally they are often highly specific. We show that toxin type drives which parasitoid species are killed, and reveal some truly wild new toxins! Read below. biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/…
Lee Henry retweeted
I invite applications for a PhD position. Join our team exploring how rapid evolution in communities allows maintenance of genetic variation and species diversity! @ERC_Research See lab.hrcek.net
Amazing work on a super cool defensive symbiosis by @fkttkm Takema and team! 👏
Our long-lasting research project on an amazing stinkbug-fungus relationship "Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs" finally comes out in Science! science.org/doi/10.1126/scie… #symbiosis #insect #fungus #stinkbug
Lee Henry retweeted
Our long-lasting research project on an amazing stinkbug-fungus relationship "Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs" finally comes out in Science! science.org/doi/10.1126/scie… #symbiosis #insect #fungus #stinkbug
Amazing new species of carnivorous caterpillar discovered!
A rare carnivorous caterpillar, previously unknown to biologists, stalks spiderwebs for food whilst dressed in the remains of its prey, researchers report in Science.
This unique new species, dubbed the “bone collector,” is found only on a single mountainside on the Hawai’ian island of Oa’hu. scim.ag/4jMV8uk
NEW PAPER! What explains associations with defensive symbionts? In @Ecology_Letters we show symbiont occurrences align with sharing the same parasitoids, but not plants, highlighting enemies as key selective agents shaping symbioses in nature🦠
doi.org/10.1111/ele.70082
Lee Henry retweeted
Join my lab @blizard_inst for a 3 year @BBSRC funded post-doc exploring how glycans shape the skin microbiome and colonisation resistance in #amphibians!!!! qmul-jobs.tal.net/vx/mobile-…
⭐️Fully funded PhD in our lab through BBSRC LIDo⭐️
If you are interested in studying how symbionts can be used to block vector borne disease contact us! 🪲🦠 Info and link to apply below (please re-Tweet! 🙏):
lido-dtp.ac.uk/apply/apply-i…
Lee Henry retweeted
Vince and I are currently recruiting grad students for a variety of projects. Please pass on this flier to anyone you think would be interested!
Two Injured ctenophores can fuse into a single organism? Bonkers! cell.com/current-biology/abs…
Wonderful review on beetle symbioses by @HassanSalem and @MarlenyGarciaL1, check it out! 🪲
Beetles are masters at coopting microbial genes, enzymes & metabolites.
In this @TrendsMicrobiol article, @MarlenyGarciaL1 & I review how microbes shaped one of the most successful animal radiations, thru horizontal gene transfer & symbiosis:
cell.com/trends/microbiology…
Great work by @realBenJen, Tom Richard’s and crew on host control of symbionts.
Excited and proud to share our preprint!
A network of glycan sensing controls endosymbiosis in the protist, Paramecium bursaria 🦠 This includes an ancient eukaryote immune-like factor, and prokaryote proteins acquired via horizontal gene-transfer!
1/10
doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.14.6…
Cool paper on convergent losses of a symbiont in gall forming insects! Nice work by @HansenLab1 Patrick Degnan et al. 🦠🌺
The galls are so nutritious that psyllids that transitioned to galling have lost their nutritional symbionts ! 🤯academic.oup.com/mbe/article…
